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Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts
[tab name="Welcome"]
Welcome to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resorts. We are a franchise network of campgrounds focused on providing great family vacations. Whether you are an RV enthusiast, enjoy the comfort of a cabin, or prefer tent camping, Jellystone Park's first-rate accommodations, amenities and activities provide the setting for a fun family vacation that's also easy on the wallet.
Our award winning Yogi Bear's Jellystone Parks have everything you need to make camping memories with family and friends. From swimming, mini golf, wagon rides and volleyball to fishing, playgrounds and of course appearances from Yogi Bear™ and friends – you'll notice that family fun is the main attraction! And with over 70 locations in the United States and Canada, you can have a quality camping experience close to home.
More Reasons to Vacation at a Jellystone Park Camp-Resort
Great memories last a lifetime. So Yogi invites your family to make some new ones at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts. Where You Camp With Friends!®
Take us on the road! This website is now mobile friendly.
[tab name="Camping"]
Whether you like to tent camp, are an RV enthusiast or enjoy the comforts of a cabin, we've got first-rate accommodations the whole family will enjoy. Prefer to get back to nature? We offer campsites nestled in beautiful settings – with perfect places to pitch your tent.
If you want to reap the benefits of the camping lifestyle while enjoying the comforts of home, try RVing. If you don't own an RV, you can rent one – often for less than it would cost to stay in a hotel. Plus, our fully equipped campsites make RVing a breeze.
View Campground Locations | RV Camping | Tent Camping
[tab name="Activities & Fun"]
At Yogi Bear's Jellystone Parks, we focus on family fun. Sure, we have campfires and s'mores, but with Yogi Bear there is so much more!
Our organized activities with on-staff recreation directors provide an unforgettable experience. How about starting the day with a flag raising featuring Yogi Bear? Then fill the rest of your day with arts and crafts, swimming, and a movie. Bingo, karaoke and live bands keep the adults entertained too.
With amenities like swimming pools, mini-golf, arcades, and wagon rides to scheduled activities and theme weekends…you'll never hear "I'm bored!"And don't forget about our popular theme weekends such as Mardi Gras, Yogi Bear's Birthday, Christmas in July, and Halloween.
Plus, a vacation at Jellystone Park is easy on the wallet since most amenities and activities are included in your stay.
Activities & Amenities | Theme Weekends | Daily Activities
[tab name="Rental Cabins"]
So you like the outdoors, but don't want to "rough it"? Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts have the solution for you!We offer cabins with a rustic feel and cabins for those who prefer a little more luxury.
Our rustic cabins have one or two rooms and typically accommodate up to six people. All have a fire pit and picnic table and some have extra space to use for dining. Or consider our deluxe cabins that also include a bathroom and a kitchenette. Many have covered front porches, TV's and air conditioning.
Read More About Our Cabin Rentals | Find Location Near You
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text:
|Story Title
|Date Published
|Solar flare paranoia? Go with a '70s car and tinfoil
|Sep 19th, 2013
|Time machine: Will clunker survive same '80s road trip?
|Sep 12th, 2013 (All day)
|Oil toil: How do you get the best mileage?
|Sep 5th, 2013
|Blink: Driver asks if he's thrifty or crazy
|Aug 29th, 2013
|Back up: Manual transmission's causing pain
|Aug 22nd, 2013
|Crank it up: Could a car start like a lawnmower?
|Aug 15th, 2013
|Porsche pride: Is old luxury ride worth the risk?
|Aug 8th, 2013
|'Drum roll: Truck dinging causes ear ringing
|Jul 25th, 2013
|Cranked up? Summer trip gets car hot and bothered
|Jul 18th, 2013
|Moving west: Emissions put to tough test
|Jul 11th, 2013
|Switching gears: Are the newest transmissions better?
|Jul 4th, 2013
|Bird bother: Feathered friends leave unwelcome 'gifts'
|Jun 27th, 2013
|Stopped short: Mystery impacts cause concern
|Jun 20th, 2013
|Escape-ism: Is little car big enough to tow?
|Jun 13th, 2013
|Parking problem: Whose spot is it anyway?
|Jun 6th, 2013
|Fit to be tied: Did little car survive big collision?
|May 23rd, 2013
|Waste case: 'Inheritance' leads to headache
|May 9th, 2013
|Ignition intuition: This car has a mind of its own
|May 2nd, 2013
|To fix or not to fix: Are air deflectors vital?
|Apr 25th, 2013

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi to all,
how to create web services in php by using soap1.2.
can any one help me out plz.
i have written one .php file that contains
$client = new SoapClient(NULL,
array( "location" => "http://hs19.iccs.bas.bg/nusoap",
"uri" => "urn:getData",
"style" => SOAP_RPC,
"use" => SOAP_ENCODED
when am accessing this file got error like this
Fatal error uncaught soapfault exception wsdl soap-error parsing wsdl couldn't load from 'https in php
Thanks in adv..


text:
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church of Lanham
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
The Church Without Walls
Come join in the fun! At Awana we learn about Jesus and how we can live our lives for Him. During the school year we host Awana for children from age 2 through 12th grade. We meet on Wednesday nights from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
Click here to download the registration form for 2019-2020.


text:
At no other time in history have people had access to more information than in the current era. Within seconds we can become pseudo-experts on most any topic, from Satanism to Zen, from the Kama Sutra to Lollapalooza and or even an upbeat biopic of Leonard Cohen (say it like co-en, then it works). This is not news to you (or at least I hope it's not), but it is an important yet puzzling piece to recent controversies concerning freedom of speech in the classroom.
In the past year, there have been several incidents where university professors have been sanctioned for the words that they used in their classrooms while attempting to explain academic ideas. One incident that made national headlines involved a highly regarded sociologist named Patti Adler, a full Professor at the University of Colorado.
In her intro-level Deviance in U.S. Society class, Dr. Adler spiced up her lecture on prostitution with "a skit in which many of Adler's teaching assistants dress[ed] up as various types of prostitutes. The teaching assistants portrayed prostitutes ranging from sex slaves to escorts, and described their lifestyles and what led them to become prostitutes" (DailyCamera).
Adler is described in the article as having an unorthodox and engaging teaching style. "Students recounted how Adler showed up in class in a bikini to illustrate deviance or dressed as a homeless person to make the same point." However, the prostitution lecture got—well, some negative attention—and at the time the article went to press, it looked like Dr. Adler was at risk of being forced into early retirement over the controversy. She was in jeopardy of losing her job for trying to teach her students in a way that was engaging, entertaining, and most of all, memorable. That is to say, for trying to do her job.
I do realize that some of you may not think this is a big deal, but as someone who teaches sociology at UNCG—a discipline that includes an entire area devoted to social deviance—well, as my old not-very-good mechanic used to say about my POS Jeep, "Man, this is troublematic…"
So if we offend a student in class—not directly of course, but by making them feel uncomfortable while trying to teach them important ideas—we might be severely sanctioned for this? Knowledge that is controversial, and can take a student out of their comfort zone, is off limits?
Students are now exposed to more controversial envelope-pushing cultural ideas and images than ever before, and at much younger ages (scholars call this phenomenon "the internet"). So I find it a bit perplexing that these kids—who could never understand a teenager's absolute thrill of finding their parents' porno mags in the sock drawer, but (or perhaps because) they can now google any sex act and have a "how-to" video before their eyes in seconds (and long before their first real date)—these students are so much more savvy than I ever was at their age, but now I have to watch what I say more than ever in the classroom?!
And to complicate things further, because of the limitless access they have grown up with (and the seconds-long attention span that accompanies it), it takes more effort than ever to keep the attention of these Millenials without grabbing their attention—with ideas and language that wakes them the #@%$ up, and stops them from just sitting there in class half asleep, hoping whoever they're trying to hook up with will respond to their inane text with a "k"…
So what to do? I'm going to follow the advice university counsel Skip Capone gave a few years back, after some legal challenges at other institutions—some of them blatantly political (here's a link to the slide show, which is clearly dated).
My CYA strategy? Define germane to the class, then when comes the time to talk about the touchy stuff, refer them back to that term. Then show them the link from the controversial stuff (i.e., the fun stuff), directly to how it relates—or is germane—to the academic topic. Finally, address the class with "so do you see the connection here?" When they say "yes," you're covered.


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I tested briefly tonight and for me the performance was quite good. Good enough to have some fun with it! How is it for you VR guys????
Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk
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text:
I'm looking for an short and elementary book which does Euclidean geometry with Birkhoff's axioms.
It would be best if it would also include some topics in projective (and/or) hyperbolic geometry.
About the course. The students suppose know some basic calculus, but they did not see real proofs.
Most of the students in my course want to become math teachers. The course description says: "Euclidean and Hyperbolic geometries and their development from postulate systems".
I choose Birkhoff's axioms since they use real numbers as a building block. This makes possible to do intro without cheating and without boring details. I know some good books for school students, but I am looking for something bit more advanced.
P.S. I want to thank everyone for comments and answers.
As I stated in the comments, I did not find an appropriate book and wrote the lecture notes my-self. They are available on arXiv, here is the link: Euclidean plane and its relatives.


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Recent Posts
- The Russ Liquid Test returns to Phoenix this March!
- Steve Aoki coming back to Scottsdale next Saturday to perform at the Birds Nest
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- Hirie & Nahko and Medicine for the People >> Healing the Santa Cruz Crowd [The Catalyst]
- Nathaniel Rateliff >> Night Sweats in Los Angeles [Greek Theatre]
- All Rap Matters >> Atmosphere and Brother Ali in San Francisco [The Masonic]
- Crystal Castles in Phoenix [The Pressroom] >> Where's Alice?
- The Kills >> Killing It in Los Angeles [The Wiltern]
- Crystal Castles are coming back to Phoenix in September!
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Clean Bandit >> Welcome to America and Hollywood [The Roxy]
Clean Bandit >> Last night I had the good fortune to witness Clean Bandit's first American show, to which I would say they nailed it. I've been to a sold-out show at the Roxy before, though this is the first time … Continue reading
Posted in music, shows Tagged a+e, ace of base, cello, clean bandit, come over, duke dumont, electronica, fitz & the tantrums, grace chatto, hollywood, i got u, jess glynne, josh vietti, juliette lewis, la bouche, lara croft, las vegas, lindsay sterling, los angeles, luke patterson, milan neil amin-smith, mozart, noelle scaggs, rather be, robin s, roxy, santa monica, show me love, spotify, the roxy theatre Leave a comment


text:
Hottest lisiting
Movving quotes
We build your business by providing state of the art technology, leadership, and training in all aspects of our real estate industry. Our leadership team, staff and associates are dedicated to help you drive your career.
We are extremely proud of our industry and take on the responsibility of helping to grow our industry in the heart and minds of our consumers. We expect and deliver professional service and care to everyone we are privileged to serve.
We make a difference in our communities. We are engaged - making a difference in every way we can. Our realtors and staff raise over $250,000 yearly in support of various initiatives - as close as your neighbourhood and as far away as needed.
For more details, please feel free to contact Suresh Paramalingam.


text:
Ongoing electrical problems forced another major event out of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, leaving organizers, local businesses and the city to count their losses.
Ongoing electrical problems forced another major event out of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, leaving organizers, local businesses and the city to count their losses.
The Illinois Horse Fair scheduled for Feb. 29 through March 2 was canceled when organizers learned they could not stage the event at the fairgrounds. The horse fair, which draws an estimated 10,000 people, was celebrating its 20th year.
"We searched every facility in the state and came up with nothing that was viable that we could shoehorn into," said Frank Bowman, president of the board for the Horseman's Council of Illinois. "Our event is very large."
As late as Wednesday, Bowman said, state officials were telling fair organizers that they thought the electrical problems could be resolved and the show could go on as scheduled. On Thursday, organizers were told the show could not be held on the grounds.
"We went from full steam ahead to full on the brakes," Bowman said.
The cancellation means serious financial problems for the council. The fair is its biggest fundraiser of the year.
"We have a ton of up-front costs with contracts and advertising," Bowman said. "We have to honor our contracts. We're losing a majority of this year's income and also a majority of our reserves. We are taking a pretty substantial hit."
The state will refund deposits made for use of the fairgrounds, Bowman said. People who bought tickets in advance will get their money back, as well.
"We were doing great on pre-sold tickets. It doubled from last year," Bowman said.
Cancellation of the Illinois Horse Fair comes right after the Illinois Beef Expo rescheduled and relocated its event to Bloomington. The expo, which attracts up to 13,000 people, had been scheduled this weekend at the fairgrounds.
The Illinois Beef Expo and the Illinois Horse Fair are the two biggest revenue producers scheduled at the fairgrounds this time of year. Each pumps about $250,000 into Springfield's economy, said Gina Gemberling, director of convention sales for the city.
"Each of them uses 600 room nights (at local hotels)," she said. "This is one of the slower times business-wise for the hotel community."
It got even slower for the Ramada Ltd. and Northfield Inn on Springfield's far northeast side. Both hotels were solidly booked by people planning to attend the two events.
"We've lost a lot of business with the cancellations going on out there," said Mike Grant, assistant manager of the hotels. "Those are two pretty major events for these two hotels."
Not only did the hotels lose room revenue, Grant said, but the beef expo had rented banquet space.
"Some of the rooms we will be able to sell, but not all of them," he said. "It's too short a notice to try to track down other business."
Department of Agriculture officials continue to offer little information about what is going on at the fairgrounds.
"Simply put we've had electrical failures on at least three occasions and we have not been able to determine a cause," said department spokesman Paris Ervin in an e-mail sent in response to written questions submitted by The State Journal-Register. "We have yet to pinpoint a cause, however, crews are working diligently to identify and try to fix the problems."
She did not respond directly to a question about widespread reports that an explosion occurred last week in an underground electrical vault, sending a large, heavy manhole cover flying.
Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, said more information should be released.
"We keep trying to ask questions," said Poe, who heard stories about the explosion. "I know they are doing as much as they can do, but sometimes it doesn't seem like the public, especially, is being informed enough as to when they are going to start up.
"I heard it's going to take eight to 10 weeks to even get the parts and supplies they need to fix it."
Poe's son, Lance, was scheduled to have his wedding reception at the fairgrounds this weekend. He found another location for it.
"We're not really learning anything," said Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.
"What I think is occurring is because of budget reductions over the years, they've allowed a lot of this deferred maintenance to go by the wayside. Now we have a serious situation."
Two other events were scheduled for the fairgrounds the weekend of March 1.
The Montessori Children's House dinner and auction has been rescheduled for April 26 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.
The Department of Agriculture's Illinois Products Expo has not yet been canceled, according to Ervin, who said in the e-mail: "We are trying to find an alternate location just in case."
Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527.


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Judai images: (1) (2)
Textures (1) (2)
Action [1]
Song: "JOINT" performed by Mami Kawada
Character:Yuki Judai(Yu-Gi-Oh GX)
The character I chose is Judai Yuki from Yu-Gi-Oh GX. I had the hardest time trying to find a song that would fit him. So many songs popped into my head at one time and I had trouble narrowing it down to one. I finally settled on
"Joint" by Mami Kawada. This song serves as the first opening to the anime Shakugan no Shana 2nd. I didn't really know the translation of the song until I looked for English lyrics. I found out that the lyrics fit Judai quite well.
I picked this song Joint because the song talked about struggling to find yourself and finding the courage to believe in yourself and looking toward the bright future ahead. In the foreground, is Judai as he appears in the 4th season of GX and behind him is his younger self from the previous seasons. He's become more serious and he doesn't enjoy life as he used to. But with the help of his friends, he gets this enjoyment and happiness back. I tried to lyrics from Joint that would highlight that. I was also inspired by the opening version of Joint as well. But basically I think this song fits Judai very well. I can even relate to it myself. It is one of my favorite songs by Mami Kawada and I just think the song is amazing.
The wallpaper itself was the challenging part. I had so much trouble rearranging the lyrics and finding time to finish the wallpaper before the deadline. Sorry this entry is a little last minute,I've just been super busy(also I get distracted easily). For the lyrics I've included the English translation and the romaji faded underneath. I hope it all looks ok. I'm not very good at making lyric themed wallpapers but I did my best. I would like to dedicate this wallpaper to MangaKid for being an EPIC friend and for supporting me in my good times and bad and for being a true friend. I hope everyone enjoys the wallpaper. I may fix it later if necessary.


text:
Your order contains no items
Oakley Hunt (West) PPC Team embroidered logo left chest.Large Oakley Hunt (West) PPC Team embroidered logo on the back .
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better.
Re New Covid-19 Opening Guidelines
Our office hours will be ;
Monday- Friday ; 10am - 1pm
To minimise the telephone lines being overrun at such a time when we have skeleton staff .Please email any queries to email@example.com and we will come back to you.
For the health, safety and welfare of our staff and customers we have taken the decision to temporarily shut our showroom and retail area at Tylers to the general public.
We will be offering collection from Tylers headquarters . All internet orders will be dispatched by Royal Mail or APC Couriers to home or business addresses.


text:
If you know the effect where a drawing is drawn as you view it, then you should see this page.
It offers some code which can make your drawing appear as if the line drawing is drawn by hand as you see it.
Follow the instructions on this page - except that you will generate your SVG from Xara.


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One reason for the lack of development so far is expense - one megawatt of installed wind power costs up to EUR2 million to construct. Interest rates from Serbian banks are much higher than those in Western Europe. Potential investors say they are further hampered by the very complicated procedures for obtaining permits - a total of 26 steps are required. There are also barriers in the existing legislation, or more precisely, the vagueness of certain laws.
The Serbian Wind Energy Association was created in November to assess the hurdles and find a way to overcome them with the help of local and central government. Members include MK-Fintel Wind, Continental Wind Partners, Energowind, Indjija Wind Park and Kelag.
Serbia is set to get its first wind plant in October if everything goes according to plan. MK Fintel Wind says it will begin construction of the 5MW La Piccolina project in July, with connection to the power grid due to take place three months later. The Italian-Serbian company, which is investing more than EUR150 million, hopes to complete work on three other wind projects by early 2013.
Potential investors are advised to follow MK Fintel Wind's example, as Serbia has adopted the first-past-the-post system. A government feed-in tariff (FIT) introduced in 2009 pays EUR0.95/kWh to the developers that connect the first 450MW of wind energy to the grid.
Serbia's deputy minister of mining and energy, Dejan Stojadinovic, believes it is unlikely all of the 1.4GW of potential wind capacity will end up being built. Wind farms that do not benefit from the FIT will probably not be profitable, he says.
Stojadinovic also rejects claims that the procedure for obtaining the energy permit is complicated, adding that it takes one month at most. He adds that nine have been issued so far. A bigger obstacle, he says, is the lack of spatial planning in Serbian municipalities, as wind energy developers also require a location and building permit.
The most promising locations for wind power plants in Serbia are in northern and eastern areas, including the Midzor Mountain, Suva Planina, Vrsac Hill, Stara Planina and Deli Jovan.
Licensed wind projects in Serbia
Project Location Developer Capacity Date of Valid until
(MW) licence
Vracev Gaj Bela Crkva VPBC Vetar 188 30.12.2008 09.01.2011
Bavanistansko Kovin Wellbury Wind 188 24.04.2009 14.05.2011
Polje Energy Beograd
Susara Vrsac Windteam Beograd 60 03.08.2009 19.08.2011
Vrsac- Vrsac, Energowind Vrsac 400 07.10.2009 16.10.2011
Alibunar- Alibunar,
Plandiste Plandiste
Cibuk Kovin Vetroelektrane 300 16.10.2010 30.10.2011
Kosava Vrsac MK-Fintel Wind 117 15.04.2010 24.04.2012
La Piccolina Vrsac MK-Fintel Wind 5 02.06.2010 02.06.2012
Krivaca Golubac, Ivicom Energy 113 25.06.2010 25.06.2012
Kucevo Zagubica
Indjija Vojvodina Vetropark Indjija 20 06.07.2010 06.07.2012
Source: Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy


text:
Beaufort Memorial names breast care coordinator
Beaufort Memorial Hospital patients facing a breast cancer diagnosis or other breast health concern now have a trained advocate to help them through their treatment, thanks to the addition of breast care coordinator Jackie Brown, RN.
Brown, a registered nurse with more than 30 years of patient care experience, will partner with breast care patients and their physicians to provide education, coordinate appointments, identify resources for services, or simply be a sounding board for patients and their family members.
Brown has held nursing and nurse educator positions in the Beaufort area over the past 20 years. Brown earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and a Master of Science in Education from Memphis State University. She is currently seeing patients at the Beaufort Memorial Women's Imaging Center in Beaufort.
Butcher graduates from Clarkson University
Zachary A. Butcher of Bluffton received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York in December.
Rushing promoted
to lieutenant
The Bluffton Township Fire District has promoted senior firefighter Ben Rushing to lieutenant. Rushing has be assigned to Shift 1 as the covering officer.
Piggly Wiggly wins coveted honor
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company has been named 2012 Self-Supplied Independent Retailer of the Year by Progressive Grocer, a leading national supermarket industry trade publication.
The award recognizes one independent grocery chain annually for its ability to thrive, survive, and enhance its own brand. According to the magazine, the Pig's commitment to its customers, employees and communities, coupled with its distinctive Southern charm and innovative marketing and merchandising strategies, is what sets the brand apart.
The annual Progressive Grocer recognition has remained a sought-after, national award for nearly a decade. Each year, one grocer is hand-selected by the magazine's editorial staff, which weighs a number of ever evolving criteria to narrow its selection.
This year's award was announced in the magazine's February issue, on stands now. Piggly Wiggly will receive the award in a formal ceremony held next month in Charleston.
Local students place in speech contest
Andrew Rushing, a senior at South Effingham High School in Guyton, Ga., recently won the local "Leadership" High School Speech Contest sponsored by the Coastal Empire Leadership Development Association (CELDA).
Rushing earned $300 for his efforts in the CELDA contest on Feb. 11 at Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU).
The local competition was open to all students from high schools in the Coastal Empire of Georgia and the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
Katelyn Ryan, a senior at Bluffton High School, finished second earning $200. Third place and a $100 award went to Simeon Bolds, also a senior from Bluffton High School.
The purpose of the nationwide NMA contest is to promote a better understanding of leadership among high school students. Each student is required to research, write and present a 4-to 6-minute speech focusing on the qualities and attributes of leadership. The contest also provides an incentive for the development of communication skills that are vital to the students when they enter the workforce.
J.T. Turner Construction, Hansen Architects
win silver award
J.T. Turner Construction and Hansen Architects recently won a silver award for a custom residential project built at Palmetto Bluff in the 2011 Best in American Living Awards (BALA) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
The Hurley Santos residence is a traditional style home with wide plank, hand scraped walnut floors and 12-foot ceilings throughout. The 5,000-square-foot home is nestled among pines and oaks overlooking the May River in Palmetto Bluff.
Now in its 28th year, BALA recognizes outstanding achievement by builders and design professionals in all sectors of the residential housing industry including single-family production, custom, rental, affordable, interiors, remodeling, community and international, based on the principle that good design is not and should not be limited to high-priced and/or custom homes.


text:
Administrative Services
Office of the Vice President for Administrative Services
Administrative Services is a service-oriented area dedicated to supporting Western Illinois University in its mission to have a profound and positive impact on the changing world through instruction, research, and public service as the University educates and prepares a diverse student population to thrive in and contribute to a global society. Administrative Services is a support organization which provides quality, effective, efficient, and timely leadership and administrative support services responding to the ever-changing needs of students, faculty, and staff by:
- Conducting essential business operations of the University while complying with applicable statutes, rules, and governing regulations.
- Providing a diverse array of auxiliary services that support the educational needs of our constituents.
- Providing human resource services and programs that foster workplace effectiveness.
- Increasing the professional capabilities and stature of law enforcement officers through training and education.
- Addressing public policy and management challenges facing top-level law enforcement administrators through research, training, and technical assistance.
- Maintaining and improving University facilities to strengthen an attractive, safe, and quality physical environment which is conducive to living, learning, and working.
- Ensuring a safe, secure, and peaceful campus environment.
- Procuring goods and services in a timely manner and at the best quality and price while complying with existing statutes and governing regulations.
- Providing accurate, timely, and complete computerized information to all qualified users in the most usable and appropriate form.
Shannon M. Sutton
Acting Associate Vice President for Budget and Finance
Sherman Hall 200
Phone: 309-298-1800
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
*Some links will take the user to a PDF file, which may not be accessible to people with disabilities. If you find you need further assistance with a specific file, contact the office of the Vice President of Administrative Services at 309/298-1800.


text:
Crysis 2's Shocking Tech Compromise: Proof
Having played Crysis 2, the latest from the former technical innovators at Crytek, I have to express that I'm not only horrified, but also shocked, at the paucity of graphical accomplishments in what should have been a groundbreaking game. It's quite clear that massive compromises have been made in order to keep the console market happy, meaning the PC version of the game is crippled to the point where it's literally impossible to look at without feeling physically sick. I have put together some detailed analysis of the differences between CryEngine 2 and CryEngine 3, to prove that the developers have let everyone down.
First of all, let's take a look at the technical range.
Crysis, built in the CryEngine 2, was capable of a 32.2m pixel spread across a 12 joule range, displayed in a dynamically generated four-part volumetric resource buffer. This meant a broad spectrum resonance in the upper 40s, with significant occlusion.
However, when we perform our benchmark tests on the CryEngine 3, it registers only 32.1m pixels in the 12J, reducing the BSR to a measly 43, with almost negligible ambience.
But it gets worse once you include the Verticle [sic] Sync Module. CryEngine 2 was praised by for its revolutionary VSM, significantly upscaling especially on NVidia chipsets. When we take a look at the CE3 VSM figures they reveal a significant drop in upscaling, and a worrying trend demonstrating an increase in downscaling.
So how does this translate in real terms? Well, let's take a look at a simple in-game object, a basic crate model. In order to remain impartial we've selected boxes appearing in darker areas. Here's Crysis:
And here's Crysis 2:
At first glance the textures in Crysis 2 may look improved, with the appearance of more detail, and a slightly more realistic look. Certainly if you were only to run past them that may be the impression you're left with. But let's take a closer look at what's really going on here.
Here's the Crysis texture:
And here's the reality of the Crysis 2 texture:
As you can see there's absolutely no comparison, the Crysis 2 "cardboard box" barely featuring a fifth of the parametric mesh generation of its predecessor, unquestionably as a result of the PS3's weaker OpenMP.
That's at a micro scale, but the same deficiencies appear on a macro scale. For instance, let's take a look at a scene from near the beginning of Crysis:
And now a scene a similar distance into Crysis 2:
Immediately you'll notice not only a downturn in colour (almost 32.3% by our benchmark), but also a significant reduction in flora. It's quite clear that the development of CryEngine 3 for the consoles has led to a devastating effect on the in-game environments, lowered ambient conditions for both AI and NPCs (inevitably as a result of the 360's eDRAM chip), and a raise in carbon production by over 300%. With Crysis having supported DX12, and Crysis 2 not even shipping with DX11 support, it's nothing short of a disgrace.
At the time of writing Crytek have refused to respond to any of the points made above, and it's pretty obvious why.


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What are you playing today?
Naruto Games
Movie Games
Naruto Games
Naruto Games
Bring the excitement of the Naruto: Shippuden comic series and TV show to your computer with our large selection of Naruto games. You can create your own character, complete with custom hair, clothes, and special moves. Take a current fighter and alter their wardrobe in many of our dress up themed games. You can even re-live scenes from the comics and simulate characters interacting and dating. True fans will love all of the possible combinations and sequences you can create in our collection!
For the action-savvy, you'll be right at home with realistic Naruto fighting challenges. Run, kick, punch, and ride bikes through levels as you prove yourself as a true warrior. Many Naruto games include varying levels of difficulty, which will keep you on your toes and in top fighting form. If you enjoy puzzles and problem-solving, several games in our collection feature mosaic puzzles and detective-style games. Search through colorful scenes and attempt to find the hidden character, in Where's Waldo-style games.
Popular this week


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It's Halloween time in NYC–on bikes.
As far as events:
Here's what we know so far:
1) Time's Up–pirate ride along with the Occupy Wall Street movement against corporate greed.
Friday, October 28th, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Aarrrrgh-walk the plank you scurvy dogs–The richest 1% bankers who knowingly tanked our economy, stole our jobs, our […]


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Among recent enforcement actions were the Department of Labor's recovery of $4 million for an employee stock ownership plan and charges by the SEC against the collateral manager of a CDO for fraud and against Diebold for FCPA violations.
Also, in the wake of a previous SEC action, a Minneapolis-based attorney, his advisory firm and a real estate lending fund were found liable for fraud in a jury trial.
Diebold to Pay $48 Million Over FCPA Violations
Ohio-based Diebold Inc., manufacturer of voting machines, ATMs and bank security systems, was charged by the SEC with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing officials at government-owned banks with pleasure trips to illegally win business.
From 2005 to 2010, Diebold subsidiaries in China and Indonesia, according to the SEC, sent government-owned bank officials on all-expense-paid junkets to such tourist destinations as the Grand Canyon, Napa Valley, Disneyland, Las Vegas, New York and Hawaii, as well as Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Rome, Australia and Bali.
The company spent more than $1.6 million on bribes for Chinese officials and more than $147,000 for Indonesian officials; it also hid these expenses as legitimate training expenses. Its Chinese subsidiary also dropped annual cash gifts on dozens of officials that ranged from $100 to more than $600.
And in Russia, from 2005 to 2008, the company spent another $1.2 million in bribes to employees at privately owned banks in connection with the sale of ATMs to those banks, and then cooked the books to cover up the fact.
Diebold has agreed to pay more than $48 million to settle the SEC's charges and resolve a parallel criminal matter announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice. That includes $22.9 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, and an additional $25.2 million fine in the parallel criminal proceeding. The company has also agreed to appoint an independent compliance monitor.
Medical Technology Company Stryker Also Caught in FCPA Violation
The SEC charged a Michigan-based medical technology company with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when subsidiaries in five different countries bribed doctors, health care professionals, and other government-employed officials in order to obtain or retain business.
An SEC investigation found that Stryker Corp.'s subsidiaries in Argentina, Greece, Mexico, Poland and Romania made illicit payments totaling approximately $2.2 million that were incorrectly described as legitimate expenses in the company's books and records. Descriptions varied from a charitable donation to consulting and service contracts, travel expenses, and commissions. Stryker made approximately $7.5 million in illicit profits as a result of the improper payments.
Without admitting or denying the allegations, Stryker has agreed to pay more than $13.2 million to settle the SEC's charges.
"Stryker's misconduct involved hundreds of improper payments over a number of years during which the company's internal controls were fatally flawed," said Andrew Calamari, director of the SEC's New York Regional Office. "Companies that allow corruption to occur by failing to implement robust compliance programs will not be allowed to profit from their misconduct."
The SEC's order instituting settled administrative proceedings details improper payments by employees of Stryker's subsidiaries as far back as 2003. They used third parties to make the payments in order to win or keep lucrative contracts for the sale of Stryker's medical technology products. For example, in January 2006, Stryker's subsidiary in Mexico directed a law firm to pay approximately $46,000 to a Mexican government employee in order to secure the winning bid on a contract. The result was $1.1 million in profits for Stryker. The subsidiary reimbursed the Mexico-based law firm for the bribe and booked the payment as a legitimate legal expense. However, no legal services were actually provided and the law firm simply acted as a funnel to pay the bribe.
According to the SEC's order, Stryker's subsidiary in Greece made a purported "donation" of nearly $200,000 in 2007 to a public university in Greece to fund a laboratory that was a pet project of a public hospital doctor. In exchange for the payment, the doctor agreed to provide business to Stryker.
The SEC's investigation also found that Stryker's subsidiaries bribed foreign officials by paying their expenses for trips that lacked any legitimate business purpose. For example, in exchange for the promise of future business from the director of a public hospital in Poland, Stryker paid travel costs for the director and her husband in May 2004. This included a six-night stay at a New York City hotel, attendance at two Broadway shows, and a five-day trip to Aruba.
The SEC's order requires Stryker to pay disgorgement of $7,502,635, prejudgment interest of $2,280,888, and a penalty of $3.5 million. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Stryker agreed to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of Sections 13(b)(2)(A) and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
DOL Recovers Over $4 Million for ESOP
A settlement obtained by the Department of Labor requires the fiduciaries of the Parrot Cellular Employee Stock Ownership Plan to pay $4.2 million to the plan. The order comes after an investigation by the Employee Benefits Security Administration and an April 2012 lawsuit that alleged that plan fiduciaries caused or permitted the ESOP to purchase Parrot Cellular stock for more than fair market value.
The defendants in the suit were Dennis Webb, the principal owner of California-based Entrepreneurial Ventures Inc.; Matthew Fidiam and Robert Gallucci, EVI executives and ESOP trustees; and Consulting Fiduciaries Inc., an Illinois company that served as the independent fiduciary for the ESOP during a November 2002 stock purchase. EVI operates Parrot Cellular telephone retail stores and is the sponsor of the worker retirement plan.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Consulting Fiduciaries agreed to pay $2 million to the ESOP to settle the allegations. Webb, Fidiam and Gallucci agreed to collectively pay $1.5 million to the ESOP, and Webb agreed to pay an additional $681,818 to the ESOP.
Advisory Firm and Owner Charged With Fraud
Investment advisory firm Harding Advisory and its owner Wing Chau were charged by the SEC with fraud after they misled investors in a collateralized debt obligation (CDO) and breached their fiduciary duties.
Chau and his firm, according to the agency, compromised their independent judgment as collateral manager to a CDO named Octans I CDO Ltd. so that they could accommodate trades requested by a third-party hedge fund firm, Magnetar Capital LLC, whose interests were not necessarily aligned with the debt investors.
Harding agreed to give Magnetar rights in the process of selecting and acquiring a portfolio of subprime mortgage-backed assets to serve as collateral for debt instruments issued to investors in the CDO. These rights, which Chau failed to disclose to investors, included the right to veto Harding's proposed selections during the "warehouse" phase that preceded issuance of the CDO's debt instruments. Magnetar's influence led Harding to choose assets against the advice of its own credit analysts.
Magnetar took advantage of its selection rights, choosing assets that would pay off as hedges, bets against the debt issued by the CDO, rather than by being profitable in their own right. Investors in the debt tranches of Octans I, on the other hand, would only benefit if the assets were profitable.
Chau knew this and disregarded his firm's own analyst recommendations to allow Magnetar to follow its hedging strategy. He also failed to tell investors what Harding was allowing Magnetar to do, in both this case and in the case of other CDOs.
The SEC's investigation is continuing. Proceedings before an administrative law judge will determine penalties that are in the public interest.
Attorney, Real Estate Finance Fund, Fund Manager Found Liable for Fraud
Minneapolis attorney Todd Duckson, Capital Solutions Monthly Income Fund, a Minneapolis-based real estate lending fund, and Transactional Finance Fund Management, a company owned by Duckson that became the fund's investment advisor in November 2008, were found liable by a jury for fraud in a case brought by the SEC.
According to the agency, from approximately March 2008 through December 2009, the fund raised $21.6 million from investors in a series of unregistered offerings. During most of the period of the fund's existence, it made "mezzanine loans"—loans subordinate to more senior loans—to a single borrower, who ran into money troubles in 2007 and defaulted on those loans by May of 2008. That meant that the fund had no meaningful income-producing assets.
In written documents provided to investors between March 2008 and late 2009, the defendants hid the fund's deteriorating financial condition. In addition, the fund would use proceeds raised in offerings primarily to make real estate loans and other investments, instead of using the money to pay senior lenders on properties it had acquired and to make interest payments to existing investors.
Duckson played a key role in drafting those written documents provided to investors, first as the attorney for the fund and, in and after November 2008, as the fund's manager.
All three were found liable after a five-week trial; the case was originally filed in September of 2010.
Check out last week's SEC, CFTC Enforcement: Knight Capital Fined $12M in Market Access Debacle at ThinkAdvisor


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Sunday, July 23, 2017
Sunday Papers
Some big names in rock will be in the Chicago area this week; with Paul McCartney playing at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on Tuesday and Wednesday; Stephen Stills and Judy Collins at Ravinia on Wednesday; Graham Nash at The Old Town School Of Folk Music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and Roger Waters on Sunday at the United Center. I'm leaving my schedule open in case any or all these musicians want to get together for my birthday.
Longtime rock critic Greg Kot's interview with Roger Waters in this past Friday's Chicago Tribune included this quote from the Pink Floyd veteran about performing "The Wall" on his current tour: "It's interesting the way it finishes onstage after all the bricks have tumbled down, a symbolic demonstration of what good can come out of a wall coming down as opposed to building one. We'd all stand and grin and bathe in connection, a deeply felt connection with the audience."
Cliff Johnson and The Raine's next gig is on Saturday, July 29 at Reggies Music Joint on State Street just south of downtown in Chicago. The Jay Goeppner Band is also on the bill that night.
Tickets went on sale today for The Church and Helio Sequence at Park West on October 6; Flamin' Groovies at SPACE on October 19; LCD Soundsystem at the Aragon Ballroom on November 6; and James McMurtry at SPACE on November 10.
My wife Pam has embarked on a mission to help save the monarch butterfly population. She brings in eggs she finds on the bottom side of leaves on the milkweed plants in our garden, waits until the caterpillars hatch, and then provides fresh leaves for them to feed on. We now have four butterflies-to-be in the chrysalis stage, and six caterpillars in various sizes.
Two Chicago-based festivals are in the chrysalis stage, and I've been tracking their development in the hopes of helping them in my own small way to take flight.
YippieFest, a three-day celebration of theatre, comedy, music, puppets, and other forms of entertainment set for the weekend of August 18 – 21 at Prop Thtr, just extended the deadline for participants to sign up. The cutoff is now Monday, July 24. If the concept sounds like the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins festival Mary-Arrchie Theatre hosted for 30 years, it's because the people behind YippieFest are vets of The Abbie.
The Kaleidoscope Eye psychedelic music festival is now selling advanced tickets for its debut on September 8 and 9 at the Live Wire Club on. Organizers Tim Ferguson of The Red Plastic Buddha, Gregory Curvey of The Luck Of Eden Hall, and photographer/writer Lee Klawans have lined up several bands to participate.
Here's hoping YippieFest and Kaleidoscope Eye both become annual events on the Chicago scene.
The second Power Pop Shoppe Showcase will take place on October 20 at The Elbo Room on Lincoln Avenue. That's the same venue where radio host Kirk Fox hosted the first PPSS, a major success that featured The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club, The Sunshine Boys, and Phil Angotti. The Bishop's Daredevil Stunt Club will once again be part of the lineup, along with The Addison, The Peeves, and Mark Watson Band.
Posted by Terry Flamm at 10:29 PM
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When Are the 2012 CMA Awards?
We love hearing our favorite artists on the radio, but nothing quite beats seeing them in the flesh (okay, on TV) at a big red carpet event. With that in mind, when are the 2012 CMA Awards?
Surprisingly, the CMA Awards will be on a Thursday night this year, airing on ABC on Nov. 1, 2012. For the last several years, the broadcast has been live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on a Wednesday night. The venue and 8PM ET start time will remain the same for the 2012 CMA Awards.
"The CMA Awards is one of the most highly anticipated events for our industry each year," Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer, said in the announcement. "It's a night to honor our finest performers, songwriters, record producers, musicians, and music video directors."
Winners of the CMA Awards are determined by the over 11,000 industry professionals who are eligible to vote. The eligibility period is from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, meaning songs and albums released after that will be considered for the 2013 ceremony.
The 2012 CMA Country Christmas special will tape in the days following the 2012 CMA Awards as usual, this time on Nov. 3 at the Bridgestone Arena. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland has hosted the event the previous two years. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood have hosted the CMA Awards for four straight years.


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Our Year in Review series highlights the major medical news stories of 2012. One of those is the ongoing saga of the safety and availability of emergency contraception. Here is the original article on a study regarding free contraception issued to women ages 14 to 45, published on Oct. 4. In a companion article, you'll find out what has happened with it since.
Providing women with free and long-acting contraception was associated with significantly lower rates of unintended and teen pregnancies and dramatically lower abortion rates.
Compared with regional and national data, St. Louis adolescents and women given free long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods had nearly four times fewer abortions -- a proxy measure of unintended pregnancies -- than the regional rate (4.4 versus 17.0 per 1,000 women), and and nearly five times fewer abortions than the national rate (4.4 versus 19.6 per 1,000 women) in 2008 (P<0.001 for both), according to Jeffrey Peipert, PhD, and colleagues.
Following the cohort, the reduction in percentage of repeat abortions in St. Louis was significant compared with rates in Kansas City and nonmetropolitan Missouri (P<0.001), they wrote in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The researchers also noted that the teen birth rate of adolescents in the cohort was more than five times lower than the national average (6.3 versus 34.1 per 1,000 women).
Unintended pregnancies continue to be an issue in many areas of the U.S., the authors noted. "U.S. taxpayers pay approximately $11 billion annually in costs associated with 1 million unintended births," they wrote, adding that the U.S.'s unintended pregnancy rate is "significantly higher than in other developed countries."
So Peipert and colleagues designed a prospective cohort -- the Contraceptive CHOICE Project -- "to promote the use of the most effective contraceptive methods (intrauterine devices [IUDs] and implants) and provide contraception at no cost to 10,000 female participants" in the St. Louis region who were at risk for unintended pregnancy "in an effort to reduce unintended pregnancies."
The study measured teen birth rates and percentages of repeat abortions in a population of 9,256 females ages 14 to 45 (mean age 25) recruited at two abortion facilities in the St. Louis region and through healthcare provider referral, advertisements, and word of mouth, and compared these data against regional and national statistics from 2008 to 2010.
The study population was 51% black, 35% had a high school or less education, 37% lived on public assistance, 39% had difficulty paying for basic expenses, and 63% had a prior unintended pregnancy, they wrote.
Participants desired a LARC and were not currently using one or were willing to switch to a new LARC, had no desire for pregnancy for at least 12 months, planned to be sexually active with a male partner within 6 months of baseline, and spoke English or Spanish.
The women and teens received the reversible contraceptive method of their choice at no cost for 3 years in the first 5,090 participants, and 2 years for the remaining patients. Patients could continue their LARC method after the study conclusion, but would no longer be given free treatment or be offered a free alternative contraceptive.
At baseline, 46% chose a levonorgestrel IUD, 12% chose a copper IUD, 17% received a subdermal implant, 9% chose oral contraceptive pills, 7% chose a contraceptive vaginal ring, 7% chose a depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, and 2% chose a contraceptive patch. In total, 75% of participants used a LARC method at baseline.
Researchers measured the number of teenage births and repeat abortions as proxy assessments of unintended pregnancies.
The number of abortions performed at Reproductive Health Services in the city and county of St. Louis from 2008 to 2010 declined by a significant 20.6% (P<0.001) compared with no change in the rest of Missouri, the authors wrote.
The proportion of repeat abortions performed in the St. Louis region compared with those in Kansas City from 2009 to 2010 was significantly lower (P<0.001). While the change in the percentage of repeat abortions favored St. Louis over nonmetro Missouri during the study period, the number of repeat abortions performed overall were greater in St. Louis at the study conclusion.
Study participants had a low rate of abortions of 4.4 per 1,000 women in 2008 and a high of 7.5 per 1,000 women in 2009. These numbers were still significantly lower than the regional rate throughout the study period -- 17.0 per 1,000 in 2008, 14.8 per 1,000 in 2009, and 13.4 per 1,000 in 2010 (P<0.001 for all years).
The abortion rate of study participants was also two times less than the national rate -- 19.6 per 1,000 women in 2008 -- all three years (P<0.001). Additionally, teens enrolled in the cohort had birth rates more than five times lower than the national teen birth rate, at 6.3 versus 34.1 per 1,000 teens.
Despite a "remarkable decline in teenage births nationally," the teens involved in the cohort had a birth rate "markedly less than the U.S. rate," the authors noted.
They also said that increased access to highly effective contraceptive methods at no cost "has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancies in the U.S." and "would prevent as many as 41% to 71% of abortions performed annually in the U.S."
The study was limited by use of proxy measures -- as opposed to actual records -- of unintended pregnancies, a nongeneralizability of the study population, and nongeneralizability of the study environment due to differing availability of family planning services, abortions, and other treatments or laws in other regions.
The Contraceptive CHOICE Project was funded by the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.
One co-author received support from Bayer Pharmaceuticals.
Primary Source
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Source Reference: Peipert JF, et al "Preventing unintended pregnancies by providing no-cost contraception" Obstet Gynecol 2012; 120(6): 1-8; DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31827eb56.


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This week, a long-brewing FAA regulation requiring planes to protect passengers from 16 G crash forces will come into full effect. What does this mean for you? Well, your next seat—or more accurately, seat belt—could have an airbag.
Instead of building airbags into plane seats or the bulkhead—that big flat wall at the front of the cabin—AmSafe, the biggest name in the I'm-guessing-not-terribly-crowded commercial jet passenger airbag industry, has hidden them in seat belts: the bag is mounted at shoulder height and connected to a trigger and helium inflation device underneath the seat.
The air bag seat belt looks pretty much like a standard seat belt. People don't really notice that it's there.
No need to deny the lumpiness, Tom — I think people will forgive a little bulk if it means they won't splatter their brains against that floral bulked carpet next time a landing doesn't go quite as planned.
But alas, the rollout won't be universal. The FAA regulation doesn't require airbags per se, as long as aircraft manufacturers can somehow claim that a 16 G impact is survivable by way of padded seatbacks, open space or better seat belts. Only a handful of commercial jets have exploding seat belts airbags today—none of which have even been deployed, by the way—but the regulation, which only applies to new planes, should make these things a common sight. [NPR]


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somnambulant toward remembered things,
things I've not yet seen;
dreaming now in the memory of color
behind the veil of tired eyes.
Look up to mountain peaks
beyond this pilgrim's path;
where is my help to come from?
The sleepless one who dreamt
all reality into star-dusted glory,
dreamt of heaven and this gritty earth
so we could travel treacherous roads
to that hidden place just beyond;
the sleepless one is guardian
and defender against striking noon day sun,
against the chill of lonely moonlight.
He never slumbers, he never sleeps,
but he dreams just the same.


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The point of looking busy is to remind your boss and your coworker that your time is valuable, that there are only so many things you can work on at once, and to give you some breathing room so you can actually think. In short, looking busy reminds everyone that you are busy, and gives you some freedom at the same time. Whether you use that freedom for valuable brainstorming or wasting time on your favorite tech blog is a choice we leave to you.
In this post, we'll walk through some way to make sure everyone you talk to—whether it's your boss or a distracting coworker—knows that you're busy without you beating them over the head with the fact. Some of this is just good sense when it comes to productivity, but a few of these tips may seem counterproductive, but stick with us, we'll explain why it all works. Let's get started.
Tackle the Big Wins First
The first thing you need to do is determine the difference between what's important and what's urgent. Let me offer up this checklist that I like to go through whenever I'm confronted with something I don't want to do:
- How important is this?
- How urgent is this? As in, how quickly—if at all—does this need to be done? Will the storm pass before it matters that I've done it?
- How visible is this?
- Who is this important to? Is that person important to me?
- What's the likelihood that said important person will forget about this before it's a non-issue?
Keep this mental checklist handy. We're about to make two lists: our to-do list, and our "sure yeah i'm working on that" list. The former is composed of items and projects you're actually working on. The latter, not so much.
Your to-do list is the list of things that you're already familiar with. The things you have to do, like pick up the dry cleaning, work on your pet project, study for the big test—all the things you need and want to do. These are the things that excite you, and the projects you get at work that are really interesting and that you want to tackle.
If you have items that are important, or urgent (that is, they have actual deadlines and the work required to meet them means you need to start,) put them on the actual to-do list. If you've been assigned something visible, drop it here too. Even if it's something you're not thrilled with, visible work is the best work when it comes to keeping up appearances. If it's important to someone who is important, it goes here too.
The to-whatever list is a new idea for a lot of you: this is your list full of crap that you're assigned that's clearly busywork: things that are neither important or urgent. These are the little things that your boss tells you that you have to do that we all know he or she will eventually forget about, or the problems that will solve themselves if you just sit back and let it happen, instead of whip yourself into a frenzy like your boss might want you to. This is also the dumping ground for projects that take a long time, things with nebulous due date or things that you don't want to do at all.
Don't burn the list: you need it, especially for those times when you need to update someone on your status and you know they're tired of hearing about the real work you're doing, or when someone brings up that item they assigned you way back when. You'll also need it for those times you get stuck in a meeting with someone trying to unload their entire project or workload onto you. Think of it as insurance.
Always Be "Busy" and Have Updates At The Ready
Now that you have your lists in order, start working on the things you're passionate about. Spend your day working on the important things, with a little of the urgent things thrown in, and a lot of the visible things that will help your actual career get ahead. Unfortunately, none of us work in a vacuum, so get ready for coworkers and managers to interrupt. Have your lists at the ready? Here's what to do:
- Start saying no. Use your lists to support you. When someone asks if you can tackle something that you know instantly is unimportant, can be done by anyone, or will inevitably lead to you having to waste your time, say no. Or rather, say no tactfully and professionally. Say things like "Well, this week I'm working on X and Y (from your real list) and I need to get to A, B, and C (from you whatever list). I don't think I can fit that in." Be ready for pushback, and be ready to be flexible. If you get a lot of pushback from your boss, revise your assumptions: this thing may be important, and if it's easy, it may be important to the right people and can earn you some points. Keep moving and don't get stuck in one position.
- Pick your battles. Remember, the goal here is to maximize your appearance while minimizing effort. That means you'll have to run a little to play ball: pick up little things you know have a big impact, and make sure everyone knows you're the one taking on the work. Don't shove it in their faces, just smile and be proud you can contribute. When you nail that highly-visible problem to the wall or solve that tricky situation your boss knew only you could handle, the brownie points you earn will be priceless.
- Never say "Not much" when someone asks you "What's up?" or "What's on your plate today? You should always have an answer for that type of question, especially when it's coming from someone in authority. One of my last bosses liked to start the day by dropping by my desk and asking what I had going on today. I learned quickly that if I didn't have an answer for him, it meant two things: First, I wasn't thinking about the day ahead and I wasn't on top of my game, and second, it gave him carte blanche to start delegating. Don't make that mistake—when someone asks you what you're working on, have an answer. The more detailed and varied, the better. Pull from your Whatever list if you have to. Oh, and make sure it doesn't sound too much like yesterday's answer, or you'll arouse suspicion that you're not making progress at all. Photo from the movie Office Space.
- Use Scotty's Principle, but don't talk about it. If you're unfamiliar with Scotty's Principle, it boils down to this: pad your estimates for how long it takes to do things by about 25%. It works wonders in the real world too—the only place where Scotty tripped up was by telling us about his rule and by consistently delivering faster than promised. Don't make that mistake—always pad the time required to do something, but only deliver ahead of schedule sometimes. You don't want anyone thinking you can do it all the time, or your padding will be useless, and people will start pushing you to deliver sooner than you say. Remember, the padding isn't just to give you time to do it, it's to give you time to do it when you want to, and within the time it's needed. Also, don't give away your secret. Loose lips and all that.
- Look the part. While I'm a fan of keeping a tidy, organized desk, no one should walk past your computer midday to see an empty desktop or lack of papers on your desk. Don't clutter for the sake of it, but keep a notebook and some scrap paper handy, and keep it out, along with a few pens. Get a second display and keep your email client open in one screen and your work on the other. Keep a few apps open in the background at all times. (Excel is a favorite. I love MS Project for this, but that was because I was a project manager.) Set up a "Boss Key" with AutoHotkey or Process Manager. It's remarkable how far a few extra displays and some open windows goes to making you look busy to someone who either doesn't really know what you do, or can't see your screen enough to know that full-screening email on your laptop display while you work on an external monitor doesn't mean anything.
- Use technology to your advantage. In one of my last jobs, the biggest responsibility I had was to stay on top of my inbox and fire off responses to critical questions when I had to. With a decent smartphone, I could do that just about anywhere, and anything I needed to get to a computer for I could always push off a few hours. Don't be afraid to work remotely—use your phone or tablet to your advantage to check in and stay engaged enough that you look like you're working. More than once I was "working from museum" or "working from pub" when I was supposed to be "working from home" thanks to my smartphone and remote desktop. Again, don't abuse it and tread carefully—the moment you get busted is the moment you ruin it, possibly for everyone.
With practice you'll find that you have more time in your day, because you've mastered the subtle art of saying "no" even when you don't have wiggle room to say no. Your coworkers will come to understand that you're busy, but if you do this right (by which we mean with subtlety, flexibility, and a smile on your face) they'll understand and only approach you when they really need your help (and those things should go on the to-do list.) Bonus: you'll always be busy, but you won't always be stressed, which is a huge bonus.
Be an Email-Responding Ninja
Here's a productivity and an evil tip: clean out your inbox. Seriously, we talk about Inbox Zero all the time, but there's more to be gained from it then a self-satisfied sense of accomplishment. A clean inbox gives you a leg up on what's probably one of the best ways to look busy: being super-responsive. When you have the ability to glance at your inbox, see a new message come in, and instantly fire off a reply before the sender can even lift their finger off the send button, you really look like you're on top of your game. Granted, there are two schools of thoughts on this: the first is that it makes you look less busy because you have time to reply to email, but if done well, it makes you look like you're always working, even at off hours and even if your replies are "I'll get back to you on this as soon as I can."
Again, pick your battles—you don't want to sit there and get into heavy details in your responses unless it's appropriate, but let's face it: the majority of the questions you probably get via email are things that someone could figure out if they looked hard enough, read an email or document you've already sent them, or paid attention the last time you told them. Fire off a super-fast reply with what they need to know in it, and they'll be in your debt and you'll look like a freaking hero. Don't do this too much though, or else it'll backfire on you—it's great to be known as the guy in the office who's always on top of his email, especially when no one else you work with is, but like everything else you need to walk the line between this being a badge of honor versus an expectation.
In the same vein, make use of scheduled sends, like telling Microsoft Outlook to delay sending messages until a certain time, or services like previously mentioned ToutApp, Right Inbox, and a service we love, Boomerang, to schedule your messages and track when they've been opened. This way you can write in advance and send a couple of replies super-late at night and earn the prestigious "overtime" award. Again, don't make it a habit—just enough that when you do it, people sit up and say "wow, he was up answering emails at 1am/5am?"
Stretch Your Boundaries So You Can Slack Off When You Want To
The best thing about looking busy is that it gives you the freedom to work at your own pace. That means that when you don't want to work or don't have to work, you can do what you want—as long as you're looking busy. If you've picked up a side project, spend some time working on that, if for nothing else but inspiration. Working on something else or taking a break to do something really refreshing will give you energy when it's time to hit the grind again, and if everyone thinks that you're busting your hump when you're actually taking those breaks, everyone wins.
At the same time, remember that the amount of work you have to do always expands to fill the time allotted to do it. That means if you take a work from home day to "catch up on documentation" and decide to take a three hour nap in the middle of the day because you know no one's checking in or you can say you were "running errands," be ready to put in extra time on the other end of your day. You still have to do enough to make that telework day look productive—but it still gives you the freedom to do what you want when you want to do it.
Use Your Powers for Productivity
A lot of these tips are secrets I've honed over the years to really look the part of being swamped when I'm not. Add in a little emotional reaction when someone challenges you on how busy you are, sell it up by believing it, and people will trust that you're really getting things done at work...and here's the dirty secret: It's because you are.
Remember, being busy is not the same thing as being productive. What we're talking about here is being productive: Getting the important things and the things you want to do done in a timely manner, and sifting out the crap that eventually worms its way into our inboxes—all while deflecting as much crap as possible so we can focus on the important things. It takes a few white lies here and there, a little playing on the ignorances of others, and a little keeping up appearances, but you wouldn't be here if you weren't a little evil, would you?


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You've probably seen this 10-year-old Duke Nukem Forever preorder receipt before - perhaps even here. What you may not have known was that it belonged to Bill Stiernberg, a 27-year-old attorney who was recently interviewed for the game's release this week.
"It was kind of surreal to turn this fading, disintegrating pre-order [receipt] to the original store to finally get the game" Stiernberg said.
Gearbox even sent him a load of cool swag for his loyalty-and for those keeping score, he really likes the game, despite much negative criticism.
"It's ridiculous, and that's all I really wanted from it".
Crass from the Past [Via The Daily]


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Tickets to your hometown music venue. The OFFICAL BLUESTONE TICKET BOX OFFICE for Columbus Ohio Concerts.
Get Tickets to The Bluestone and never miss your favorite artist again. Tickets From country and electronic to R&B and hip hop. THE Bluestone brings quality entertainment to the stage every time. We're working hard to bring you the best music and special events in Columbus, Ohio. Keep an eye on our tickets and events calendar and check back often for concert updates. Just click on an event to purchase tickets.
Buying tickets on the Eventbrite app is quick and simple. Register for event with just a few taps, and you'll receive a confirmation email when your order is completed successfully.
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Eventbrite takes the security and privacy of your billing information seriously. All online payments are processed over a secure connection using a PCI-compliant gateway. If you prefer an offline transaction, learn how to buy tickets without using a credit card.
Tickets to The Bluestone
IGNYTE EVENTS presents: DOWNLINK and DIESELBOY at The Bluestone on Saturday, March 14th.
Ashley McBryde live at The Bluestone on November 8th, 2018 as part of her "Girl Going Nowhere Tour" performing live at The Bluestone on November 8th, 2018!
*Opening Artist: Dee White
*Doors will OPEN at 7PM
*Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show
Tickets On-Sale Friday, May 25th 10AM!
Ashley McBryde Biography…
"I hear the crowd, I look around, and I can't find one empty chair. Not bad for a girl going nowhere" sings Ashley McBryde on "Girl Goin' Nowhere," the seminal title track from her forthcoming LP. They're words built from experience: over the course of her life, McBryde's been finding her own way to fill those seats and sway those hearts since the very first time her teacher told her that her dreams of writing songs in Nashville would never see the light of day. Every time she was brought down, she persevered; trusting her timeless tone and keen, unwavering eye for the truth. It paid off. In April, Eric Church brought her on stage and called her a "whiskey-drinking badass," confessing that he's a massive fan. The rest of the world is quickly catching on, too.
Dubbed as one of Rolling Stone's "Artists You Need To Know," citing she's "an Arkansas red-clay badass, with the swagger of Hank Jr. and the songwriting of Miranda Lambert," McBryde fearlessly lays it all on the line, and it's that honest all-in approach that has led to NPR critic Ann Powers to ask if McBryde could be "among the first post-Stapleton country stars?" McBryde's album will showcase an artistic vision that will prove her to be one of the genre's keenest working storytellers, bringing unwavering honesty back into a pop-preoccupied genre. Pulling tales from every corner of her human experience, McBryde sings with fire and fury, laughing and swigging that brown stuff along the way.
McBryde was raised in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. At three, she'd secretly pluck her father's guitar like an upright bass, and after about the 17th time being caught, her father bought her a guitar of her own. When she was twelve, she played her parents and grandparents her very first composition. It was at Arkansas State when, while a member of the marching band, McBryde finally started sharing her voice with others, and finally moved to Nashville in 2007 where steadily worked a circuit of dive bars, biker hangouts, and colorful joints fighting to have her songs heard.
Her first EP, the self-released 2016 Jalopies and Expensive Guitars was just a taste of what McBryde can do, and, on her full-length debut, she will meld her songwriting chops with the vision of producer Jay Joyce, peppering her tales with a touch of guitar-driven rock fury. McBryde isn't afraid to tell the truth, get raw and real and use the spirits of country, folk and rock when it serves her greater purpose. And that's to tell the stories that shake us, make us and tell us a little more about what it's like to be human.


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Welcome to the Transplantat Center at Heidelberg University Hospital
At the Heidelberg Transplant Center, we have created a modern center for excellence that is one of the leading transplantation programs in the world today. Thanks to our well qualified and highly experienced team of physicians, who have access to the latest equipment, we are able to provide you with medical services that meet the highest standards.
Heidelberg also has one of the longest traditions in transplantation in all of Germany. Since 1967, over 2,000 kidney transplantation procedures have been performed here, and since 1987, more than 1,000 liver transplantation procedures. Specialized programs for heart and pancreas transplantation were developed in the early 1990's. In addition, the largest department for bone marrow transplantation in Germany today is to be found at Heidelberg University Hospital. Every year at our facility, about 100 patients receive a liver transplant, and another 140 receive a kidney transplant, a large number of these from living donors.
Through intensive research efforts and worldwide collaboration, the Center remains on the cutting edge of science. A special research group is currently engaged in discovering new strategies for preventing rejection reactions. At the Institute for Immunology, data are being compiled and analyzed for the largest study worldwide, the "Collaborative Transplant Study."
An interdisciplinary treatment philosophy and new, less invasive surgical techniques are the focus of our work, because we want to provide our patients with the highest levels of counseling, care, and professional expertise. The goal of the Center is to gather under one roof all the know-how based upon many years of close collaboration in Heidelberg. A large team of specialists jointly provides care for our patients before and after transplantation to ensure the best possible outcome of treatment.
An area of special interest for the Heidelberg Transplant Center is living organ donation. Since 1967, we have harvested more than 400 kidneys from healthy individuals to transplant into a sick relative, without the donors incurring health complications. Living kidney transplant donors undergo so-called "laparoscopic", minimally invasive surgery. Living donor liver transplantation is also offered at our Center. In this procedure, we remove a section of the organ, which then grows within the span of a few weeks into a fully functioning liver. Since 2002, we have successfully performed 35 living donor liver transplantations.
We are committed to providing you with optimal treatment and to ensuring that you have the most pleasant stay possible at the Heidelberg University Hospital. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us personally.
Prof. Dr. Markus W. Büchler
Medical Director of the Department of Surgery
Please find more information on our website.


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Magno - Lover Scorned [Unsigned Artist]
"Magno returns with the second single to his latest album, "Lover Scorned". The setting of this video is in his old hood, Kashmere Gardens. Wildlife Record."
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- 1/2 cup medium-grind polenta (not instant)
- 3 large sprigs thyme, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 pound fresh hot or sweet Italian turkey or chicken sausages
- 1/3 cup low-salt chicken broth
- 1 pound seedless red grapes, cut into bunches with stems attached
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves
Recipe Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Stir polenta and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium microwave-safe bowl; add 1 thyme sprig and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a plate. Microwave for 4 minutes. Carefully remove plate and whisk polenta. Cover and microwave for 4 minutes longer. Repeat until polenta is soft, adding more water by 1/4-cupfuls if too thick, 10–12 minutes total, depending on strength of microwave. Stir in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper; keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages and fry until browned, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add broth, remaining 2 thyme sprigs, grapes, and shallots to skillet; transfer to oven. Roast, turning grapes and sausages halfway through cooking time, until grapes begin to caramelize and sausages are cooked through and begin to burst, 12–15 minutes.
Spoon polenta into wide, shallow bowls. Arrange sausages and grapes over. Add wine to skillet; stir over high heat, scraping up browned bits. Drizzle pan sauce over sausages. Sprinkle with parsley.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One man is dead and two people are in custody after a fight Tuesday afternoon in East Arlington.
Jacksonville police were called to a home in the 100 block of South Nadia Michelle Court, near Girvin Road and Atlantic Boulevard, about 1:30 p.m.
Police said there was some type of fight, and then a man in a truck drove up to the home and was shot and killed by the man who lived there.
"The early determination is that the person that lived in the residence and the deceased individual probably knew each other somehow, and that there was some type of verbal altercation ensued, and then the shots were fired," said Sgt. Shawn Coarsey, of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
It's unclear what the argument was about.
Police said a man and a woman in their 20s are in custody. They said both live in the house. The victim was also in his 20s.
Investigators did not immediately release their identities.
Police said a rifle was used in the killing.


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